Festivals in 2010

Maybe it's so early, but here calendar of country and folk festivals in Slovakia:

FEBRUARY 2010

Date	Place	Name	Info
February 12	Nova Bana	Nova Bana Winter Folk Festival	A review of non-professional guitar soloists

MAY 2010

Date	Place	Name	Info
May 8	Prievidza	Strunobranie Folkforum 2010	A regional festival of music genres

JUNE 2010

Date	Place	Name	Info
June 2010	Zvolen	Country Garden
June 11 - June 13 2010	Trnava	Dobrofest	18th year - An international festival celebrating John Dopyera
June 18 – June 19 2010	Radimov	Radimovska sopa	14th year - A festival of good music
June 2010	Nove Zamky	Country Castle 2010	2th year - A festival of country. bluesgrass and western

JULY 2010

Date	Place	Name	Info
July	Nove Mesto nad Vahom	Country Park	10th year - Festival of country music groups and dance groups genres
July	Nova Bana	Nova Bana Summer Folk Festival	14th year - A festival of folk and country music groups
July 16 - July 17	Turzovka	Drotaria 2010	6th year - Festival of folk, country and tramp song
July 24	Povazska Bystrica	Country Music under Starry Skies	8th year - A festival featuring music bands and soloist groups and dance groups genres
July 30 - July 31	Liptovsky Hradok	Folk under Skalka	14th year - A festival of folk, contry, tramp and blegrass music

AUGUST 2010

Date	Place	Name	Info
August 6 - August 8	Tuzina pri Prievidzi	Country Fest Tuzina	14th year - A review of Slovak bands and performers of country, folk, bluegrass, tramp music and related genres
August 26 - August 28	Piestany	Lodenica 2010	12th year - An international festival of folk and country music

Back

Hello everybody.

Holidays finished and we all are back at job. I'm sure, somebody of us spent free days on romantic way or dream's islands (see up) with perfect person.

My holidays were different, but also nice. I spent holidays on way. But perfect way, I think. I spent it in adventure parks in Europe, especially in Germany and Belgium. (And I recommend you Europa park in Rust.) But I don't like to write about parks. This blog isn't about that, but about music, especially in country and folk music.

Last time I advertised Competition.

It hasn't so response as I've waited, but never mind. I thought of it and prepared own list and here it is:

• Rangers
• Jiří Grossmann
• Taxmeni
• Fešáci
• Waldemar Matuška

.

It isn't list what you've waited. These names are names of Czech bands and singers. Yes, they are my favourite. And also Bee Gees and ABBA, but it isn't Folk or Country, as you know.

And what about American singers. I prefer John Denver.


Rangers


Jiří Grossmann


Taxmeni


Fešáci


Waldemar Matuška

Country Competition

During all history of country music, there are and were many famous singers and music bands.

Everybody knows some hitparade in every kind of music, as well in Country music. Every year there is official competition - Grammy Awards. It is rating of professionals in more categories.

Let's try to create some own TOP 5. Here are only four categories:

• Singer - Man (Never mind if interpret is still alive or dead.)


• Singer - Women (Never mind if interpret is still alive or dead.)


• Music Band (Never mind if music band still exists or not.)


• Song (during all rich country history)

Please write it to comments under this post. Everybody can nominate 5 nominees for each category.

The contest will be close after 2 month and results will be published asap.

In the end, there will be evaluation and one of the voting will have his link on this site for 4 months.

Christmass time

Now it's Christmas time. I think, no coutry singer is, who has some christmas song.
That's why here are some presents for you:

Jim Reeves - Blue Christmas


Alan Jackson - Let It Be Christmas


Faith Hill - Where Are You Christmas


Johnny Cash Christmas Show '77 - Cash, Orbison, Perkins, Lee

Party Cake

     Country and folk doesn't mean only music. It's also clothing and cooking. Yes, you read it right. Cooking. Oh, don't switch off. It doesn't mean, that now I will write only about cooking. Please, excuse me.
     Ok, keep your caps, we start. And what will we cook? What do you say something sweet: Cake is perfect choice. I like to cook cake. It doesn't mean I like to eat that. No, I like to cook it. And it isn't bad, just vice-versa, it's tasty.
     Right, right. I'm going to start.

Nut cake (for Richard's birthday in this year) :

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs white
• 20 decagrams sugar
• 20 decagrams assorted flour
• ½ baking powder
• 1 spoon of hot water
• 1 vanilla sugar
• snow from eggs white
• salt
• 2 spoons cocoa (I use it, but it isn't necessary)

Procedure:
     Mix eggs white with sugar, add hot water. All substance will be puffy. I use mixer and during mix I prepare other ingredients – flour (I prefer 10 decagramme of smooth flour and 10 decagram wholemeal), add baking.powder and cocoa.
     I mix it separate and than I add it to eggs white with sugar. Don't forget it. In the end, mix cold eggs white with a bit salt and add to other ingredients. My advice: Use so many spoons of cold water like many eggs white.
     I bake it on 180 degree of Celsius 45 minutes.

Stuffing cake (it's your decision – I prepared nut stuff.)

Ingredients:

• 12 decagrams of nuts
• 10 decagrams powdery sugar
• 1 deciliter of hot milk
• 1 spoon of rum
• 1 vanilla sugar
• 18 decagrams of butter

Procedure:

     Grind nuts with sugar, add hot milk and vanilla sugar, mix together. If you'll prepare it for adults, use rum(only few spoons). In this case, forget milk. Or brandy, whisky or other alcohol drink. It will be stronger. :o))
     I prepared it for children, that's why I leave alcohol and .I used more milk. In the end add butter and mix and mix and mix.

     I hope I don't need to explain how to put this stuff in the cake. Ok, OK, I explain it. Cut the cake on horisoltal line. Put the stuff on the cake and decorate it by nut and chocolate.

     And voilá, cake is in the world. And it's delicious, believe me.

Why Country&Folk?

     First of all, I'd like to tell why this blog start up and what you will find here. According to title, it will be about country&folk.
     When I was younger, more younger than today, I had read western novels. I read a book, closed my eyes and dreamt about Westland, about riding on horseback. Law and honor, it was my main rule. Always good boys were winners and bad boys finished with their faces in dust on the road.
     To spend time under open sky, under the stars, to listen only sounds of night on plains and to feel warm of the campfire, it was the most secret dream of myself.
     As the time goes, romantic dreams change to reality. It's a pity, nothing is more sweet than illusions of youth. But my love for country style is still here. I like this style, and the country songs come under that.
     Somebody can tell, country is past time, closed page of history. It isn't true. As other style of music, country has own history, presence and future too.
     I sing too (my friends and some unknown people too, says that I'm good singer). You can't find a day, when I don't think on country or I don't sing some country or folk songs. I have to tell you, I prefer Czech country. Maybe that is because Czech language is closer to my own language than English.
     And what you will find here? I hope that, you will find here something about country styles, some opinions and recommendations on songs and singers. Maybe, you will find here some good ideas for spending free time (festivals, presentations, appearances). You will find here also biographies of country singers, some photos, videos and etc. We can speak together about books and writers too. Or cook. I have some special recipes for campfire. :o)

     My wish is to create community of people, friends who has similar interests as me, who loves to dream under trees with open eyes.